Picturing Problems:Solving Logic Puzzles Diagrammatically

Solving logic puzzles is a popular recreational activity. The solution of a logic puzzle involves understanding and reasoning about the information provided. Diagrammatic logics have been shown to help people to understand and reason about logical information. In this paper we use spider diagrams, a visual logic based on Euler diagrams, to visualize logic problems. Furthermore, we reason with the diagrammatic representation both syntactically and semantically until we reach a solution. We present four example logic puzzles of varying diculty and produce their solutions in detail using spider diagrams. We suggest that the use of diagrams is helpful in their solution